Paint Rock Canyon, Wyoming
Written & Photos By: Laurel Thompson
Every spring, before the full onset of summer, Sam and I enjoy loading up our string of horses and heading out for a multi-day pack trip to one of our favorite locations in the Bighorn Mountains, Paint Rock Canyon.
The steep canyon walls and massive rock formations make this an incredibly scenic area whether on foot or horseback, and Paint Rock Creek is a topnotch trout stream, holding brown, rainbow and cutthroat trout.
Getting There
Paint Rock Canyon is the only canyon on the western slopes of the Bighorn Mountains with a maintained trail, making it ideal for hiking and horseback riding. The Paint Rock Canyon Trail extends 5 miles up the canyon alongside Paint Rock Creek and can be accessed by multiple Bureau of Land Management access points.
From Hyattville, Wyoming head north about 0.5 mile to the Cold Springs Road and continue about 4 miles east to the main trailhead.
Travel Prepping
Having made many trips of this length and scale, Sam and I have a pretty dialed in packing system. But, when you are planning to spend several days and miles from your vehicle or a main road, its always best to be extra prepared. Our suggestion? Make a checklist – especially for items critical to your health and safety.
Essential Items
Tent
Sleeping bags
Sleeping pads
Water and food
Water filter
Compact kitchen set
Headlamp/flashlight
Matches/lighter
Emergency kit
Warm jacket, beanie and gloves
Forgetting your deodorant, while not ideal, won’t be the end of the world. But forgetting an essential item could ruin your trip!
Saddling Up
As we saddled up the horses and loaded our gear in pack saddles, the sunny skies and cool breeze set a happy vibe for the day. You could tell the horses were excited to get out and were feeling good as we entered the main trailhead.
Trail Blazing
Paint Rock Canyon is a beautiful place to be this time of year. The Paint Rock Canyon Trail is a diverse trail that takes you through sandy, juniper and sage brush covered hills and transitions to steep, rocky canyon walls and scenic vistas as you climb further in elevation. During the ride up, you are accompanied by the rushing sounds of Paint Rock Creek next to the winding trail.
The landscape is covered with green grasses and forbes, budding cottonwoods along the creek sides, and small patches of snow remain in shaded conifers along the canyon rims.
First Campsite
After riding several miles up the trail, Sam and I arrived at our first campsite. We unloaded our gear, hobbled the horses, and quickly setup camp. With several hours of daylight left, we put together our fishing poles and hit the creek for a few hours of superb trout fishing! We both had tons of luck and pulled out many brown and rainbow trout, which we released back into the cool water.
Campfire Favs
One of my personal favorite things about camping is sitting around the campfire, enjoying a cold beer after a long ride or successful evening of fishing, and preparing a hot and tasty meal over the fire. This evening, we enjoyed some brews kept chilled in a creek side pool and made elk tacos “trail” style which you can read about in our WYld Camping Recipes section.
Morning Moves
After a peaceful evening of light rain showers and several cups of coffee in the morning, Sam and I loaded up camp to ride further up the canyon. Once we reached the south fork of Paint Rock Creek, we set up camp once again and then setoff for a long ride up to Cement Mountain – about a 12-mile loop.
Along the way, we saw nearly 1,000 head of elk, and enjoyed watching them graze and play in the cool, crisp weather. The horses are funny to watch, as they are always keenly curious of the similar sized critters.
Spring Showers
Once we made it back to camp, it began to sprinkle. Some might say this makes for miserable camping, but there is something peaceful about springtime showers in the Bighorns. Rain clouds and fog rolled in to hide the canyon walls, only exposing the rocky rims every so often.
In the stillness, we built up a warm fire that crackled under the rain drops and then enjoyed campfire brats and smores – a camping must for us! We enjoyed the quietness of the rain and the majesty of the cocooning canyon.
Lazy Mornings
On our final morning, we had a hearty campfire breakfast and took our time packing up camp in between cups of coffee and trips to the creek to water the horses for our long ride out. It was a beautiful, sunny day, and we took in the last moments of our little slice of paradise by the creek.
Over and Out
With camp loaded up and our saddle bags full of snacks and treats, we meandered our way down the canyon, stopping for fishing breaks and lunch along the way. On our way out, we ran into a brood of turkeys. Pepper, our red heeler who is an avid upland game bird hunter, was quick on their scent and sent them sailing across the creek. We watched them land atop a huge conifer and observed them as we rode by.
Perfect Ending
As we made our way to the canyon’s edge and climbed our way back through the juniper and sagebrush hills, we said our quiet goodbyes to this very special place until the next time. It was a perfect weekend getaway filled with lots of smiles, laughs and adventure.
Get Outside
If you’re feeling up to a more remote hike, horseback ride or camping trip in the Bighorns, be sure to check out Paint Rock Canyon and share your adventures with us by using the hashtag #LiveWYld and tagging us at @LiveWYldMag.
